Resistance material.



G. T. SOUTHGATE.

RESISTANCE MATERIAL.

APPLICATION ELLED APR. 19,. .1917.

1297,74 1. 1 Patented Mar. 18,1919. 1

ATM; EYI

GEORGE T. SOUTHGATE, or Bnooxmm, NEW YoR RESISTANCE MATERIAL.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed Apri1 19, 1917,. Seria1 N0. 163,102."

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, GEORGET. SOUT GATE,

a citizen of the United States, residing at Brooklyn, in the county of Kings and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Resistance Ma- L terials; andI do hereby declare the followto be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the artto-which it appertains to make and use the same. r

My invention relates: to electric resistance materials.

.I have discovered ithat the compound known as cuprous'sulfidf and designated by the chemical formula Ou S possesses a high resistance; its resistivity being about 100 ohms per cubic centimeter. I have furthermore discovered that its resistance is permanent at a given temperature and is not permanently affected by changes in its temperature, and also that metallic terminals may be formed out of the body of the cuprous sulfid. I have made use'ofthese properties of said compound in the resistance element for the lightning arrester shown in the accompanying drawing and hereinafter described and claimed.

In the drawing, 1 represents the line, or other conductor, that is to be protected against lightning, or other high tension discharges.

2 represents a conductor which connects the line 1 with one horn 3 of the main air gap; The other horn 4 of the main air gap is connected by the conductor 5 with the metallic terminal 6.

The horns' 3 and 4 are preferably solid and formed of iron, but they may be hollow and formed of any suitable metal, and the distance between said horns may be varied to suit the initial striking potential of the high tension discharge.

I referably form the cuprous sulfid into a so id cylinder such ,as 7 and form the metallic terminal 6 on one end thereof.

On the other end of the cylinder 7 I form a second metallic terminal 8 and connect the terminal 8 to the ground 10 by the. conductor 9.

The terminals 6 and 8Vmay be attached to the cylinder 7 in any approved manner, but

. my preferred process for forming said terv minal consists in providing a mold for the mum of impedance to the ground and the cylinder 7.having substancetherein .where the terminals 6 and 8 areto be, formed that W111 combine with the sulfur of the, cuprous,

sulfid and reduce the latter to metallic copper. 7 I I In carrying out my process I provide a COmPOSltG'mOld for the cylinder 7 Patented Ma. 18, 1919.

Saidmold for the portion of said'cylinder between the terminals 6 and-8 is composed of any inert material, among which, either carborundum, corundum. or silicon is suitable.

The parts of the mold for the terminals I 6 and Sam composed of any material that will combine with the v'sulfurof the cuprous sulfid and reduce the, surface of the latter to metallic copp'erl' A suitable material for causing said reduction of the cuprous sulfid is graphite,

and the reduction is more readily effected if the mold is heated. The mold may be heated until the graphite is incandescent if desired.

Otherwise themold is-made as usual for metal casting and the cuprous sulfid is melted and poured therein.

To the terminals 6 and 8 I electrically attach in any suitable manner the metallic rods 1l11 projecting radially from the cylindrical surfaces of said terminals, and at the outer ends of the rods 11-11 I secure in electrical connection therewith the metallic. rods 12-12, the adjacent ends of said rods terminating in the metallic balls 1313, thus providing an auxiliary spark gap in shunt to the resistor 7 that is very susceptible to sparking when subjected to a high frequency charge.

The operation of my improved lightning arrester is as follows i A high tension discharge upon theconductor 1 will travel along the conductor 2 to the horn 3, thence across the air gap to the horn 4 and thence along the conductor 5 to the terminal 6.

Should the discharge be of high frequency or very high tension, during the first instant of said discharge, it will pass along the upper rods 11 and 12 to the upper ball 13,

thence across the air'gap to the lower ball 13, thence along the lower rods 12 and 11 to the cap 8, and thence along the conductor 9'to the ground 10.

' Thus the surge current passes with a miniresistor 7 is protected from energy that would otherwise be liberated therein, and the spark in the auxiliary air gap is quickly extinguished by the shunting action of the resistor 7.

After the first instant of a discharge of very high tension; and during the Whole period of a discharge of medium high ten sion, the discharge Will pass from the terminal 6 through my resistance element '7 t0 the terminal 8 and thence along the conductor 9 to the ground 10.

The passage of the high tension discharge across the air gap between the horns 3 and t Will cause the establishment of an are ment on its way to the ground 10., and, owing to the high resistance of the resistance elem'ent 'i, the line voltage will be unable to 1. A resistance element composed of cuprous sulfid having the formula Gu s.

2. A resistance element composed of cu- ,prous sulfid and provided with metallic terminals.

3. A resistance element composed of cuprous sulfid having the formula Cu S and provided with metallic terminals formed from the body of the cuprous sulfid.

4; A resistance element composed of a metallic compound and provided with metallic terminals formed from the'- body of said compound.

Inw testimony whereof, I aflix my signature.

GEORGE T. SOUTHGATE. 

